Preview, round four: Mutiny Historic ChallengeCompetitors will head back to Wales for round four of the Armajaro MSA British Historic Rally Championship, the Mutiny Historic Challenge on Saturday 4 June.
After a foray onto asphalt for round three, it is back to some classic Welsh forest stages for a field of more than 60 cars in the historic element of the Llandrindod Wells-based event.Historic (category 1)Three crews are setting a fierce pace in the historic category, with the Porsche 911s of Steven Smith/John Nichols and Dessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride taking on the increasingly major challenge of the Sunbeam Tiger of Patrick Watts/Elgan Davies. Missing the Astra Stages is April has left Watts only third in the points, but the fact that he has now won on asphalt and gravel this year has not gone un-noticed by Smith and Nutt. Watts has yet to win a Welsh gravel event in the thundering Tiger, but that is surely only a matter of time and the flowing stages of the Mutiny should suit the former racer very nicely.Nutt, meanwhile, didn't enjoy being edged back to third on the asphalt of Epynt last time out and has resolved to come out fighting on the Mutiny, while Smith just gets quicker and quicker as his experience of the VK-backed 911 grows.
Four Lotus Cortinas line up against the magnificent Volvo Amazon of Graham Waite/Julian Kirwan in Class B4, with Neil Calvert/Arlene Cookson likely to set the pace. However, out to get up amongst the Lotus-powered cars will be the class B3 Ford Cortina GT of Jonathan and Graham Gale.
Matthew and Dood Pearce (Mini Cooper S) have now taken three wins from three events in class B2 and are in stunning form right now. Like the Gales, the Pearce team is a son and father combination, with son driving and father calling the notes!To the delight of the spectators, a trio of two-stroke Saab 96s will contest class B1 with the redoubtable pairing of John Parker/Robert Harrison being the one to beat.Post-historic (category 2)It has already been a superb season for David Stokes and Ian Oakey in their post-historic Escort Mk1. A second place and two wins have put them clearly at the head of the championship table and they will arrive in Llandrindod Wells determined to continue a stunning run of results.
In contrast, Ray Bellm/Mark Solloway have had a torrid time in their Escort, with only a finish on the Robin Hood on the score sheet so far. Bellm will be aiming to go head to head with Stokes from the start on the Mutiny, but Jeremy Easson/Den Golding must not be discounted in their Escort and any one of this trio could take class C5 spoils.Other class C5 Escorts to watch include that of Rikki Proffitt/Phill Harrison and Mike Jordan/Graham Henshaw, who return to the BHRC after missing two events due to Jordan's racing schedule.
A gaggle of Porsches pack out class C4, but the quickest car of all is likely to be the Datsun 240Z of Dominic Frattaroli/Wyn Thomas. After victory on the Robin Hood, a first stage gearbox failure put them out on Epynt, but if the 240Z is running well, Frattaroli will be tough to beat in the overall post-historic contest. Newcomers to the BHRC in the Porsche pack include Brian Bell/Paul Spooner and Sean Lockyear/Chris Wood, while Andrew Street/Jez Mason are already running very strongly after only two events in their freshly built 911.
Class C3 should be the domain of James and David Young in their very rapid Escort RS2000, but class C2 is as wide open as ever, with the 1600cc Escorts of Ken Forster/John Stanger-Leathes and John Worthing/Bill Robertson set to rejoin their tremendous battle.The Mutiny Historic Challenge is organised by Midland Manor Motor Club Ltd and Ludlow Castle Motor Club Ltd. For more details about the event, please visit the website at: mutinyrally.comThe historic rally starts from Builth Wells at 8.30am on Saturday, 4 June.
